Toilet seat lifting apparatus

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a toilet seat lifting apparatus for promoting hygiene and cleanliness in public and/or domestic environments. It apparatus uses a first member for attachment to a toilet bowl rim and an energy storage member in the form of a conical spring. The spring is connected between the first member and the underside of a toilet seat in order to supply a continuous lifting force to urge a toilet seat upwards away from the toilet bowl and the first member. When fully compressed the three-dimensional spatial volume occupied by the conical spring will be minimised to allow a toilet seat to adopt its intended horizontal orientation upon a toilet bowl during use.

PRIORITY CLAIM

The instant application is a U.S. Nationalization of PCT/GB2020/051054,filed on Apr. 30, 2020, presently pending, which in turn claimedpriority to GB patent application 1906120.9, filed on May 1, 2019, thecontents of each application are hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to a toilet seat lifting apparatus forpromoting hygiene and cleanliness in public and/or domesticenvironments. The invention particularly, though not exclusively,relates to a lifting apparatus which is retrofittable between existingtoilet bowls and seats and which employs a resilient spring forsupplying a continuous lifting force to urge a toilet seat upwards awayfrom the toilet bowl.

Bathroom etiquette dictates that a standing toilet user ought to liftthe toilet seat prior to urinating out of courtesy to a subsequent user.By doing so, accidental contamination of the toilet seat surface can beavoided. Unfortunately, a multiplicity of factors means that thispreferred practice is not always adopted. For example, human factorsthat may lead to toilet seat contamination which is unintended and/orunavoidable include user age, user disability, user laziness, urgency,user germ- related obsessive-compulsive-disorders (OCD), users withdifferent attitudes or hygiene standards, and user absent-mindedness. Onthe other hand, simple thoughtlessness or selfishness on the part of auser may lead to toilet seat contamination which is in fact whollyavoidable. The problem of contamination is more prevalent in publicenvironments where —unlike in a domestic environment —there arerelatively more single-time users who do not have any personalmotivation in maintaining acceptable standards of hygiene andcleanliness.

Toilet seat lifting mechanisms are already known which urge a toiletseat into an upright position until required for use. An early exampleis disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,504,385 (M Fields) which describes adevice operated by a foot pedal to move a series of hydraulic pistonsand rods to lift a toilet seat. Apart from the complicated structure ofsuch apparatus, it suffers from the shortcoming that it still requires auser to purposively apply pressure to the foot pedal and assume thatthey are physically able, and willing to do so.

In a more recent example, US patent publication No. 2013/0117918(Jinghua Tian) discloses an apparatus employing a torsion springconnected to a hinge to maintain the seat in an upright orientationunless forced down by a user. However, the apparatus is not readilyretrofittable and would require the toilet seat and lid to be physicallyseparated from the toilet bowl, and from each other at their commonhinge, to enable installation.

In recognition of the shortcomings of prior art devices, the inventorsof the present invention have devised an alternative toilet seat liftingapparatus which overcomes, or at least ameliorates those shortcomings.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided atoilet seat lifting apparatus comprising:

-   -   (i) a first member for attachment to a toilet bowl rim; and    -   (ii) an energy storage member in the form of a helical spring;        wherein the helical spring has a variable internal and/or        external diameter along its length between its opposite distal        ends, and is connected between the first member and the        underside of a toilet seat in order to urge the toilet seat away        from the first member.

A consequence of the invention is that a prospective seated toilet usermust make physical contact with the toilet seat to lower it into aposition for sitting. However, it will be appreciated that such ascenario is already commonly encountered in conventional toiletapparatus.

Optionally, a second member is provided for attachment to the undersideof a toilet seat, and for connection to the energy storage member.

Optionally, the helical spring is a conical spring.

Optionally, the conical spring is telescopically compressible into aplanar spiral.

It will be appreciated that, when fully compressed the three-dimensionalspatial volume occupied by the conical spring should be minimised toallow a toilet seat to adopt its intended horizontal orientation upon atoilet bowl. In addition to coil shape, other technical aspects of thehelical spring may be varied to provide desired energy storage andbehavioural characteristics such as, for example: wire pitch, coil gap,helix angle, wire material, and wire diameter. For example, wirediameter may vary along the length of the coil spring in a manner whichdelivers a more even and/or gentle release of stored energy (with a viewto enabling it to raise a toilet seat weight of at least 1 kg), i.e.thus mimicking conventional soft-close mechanisms, but in reverse. Theaforementioned technical aspects of the helical spring may be altered inisolation or in combination over all or part(s) of the helical spring.

Optionally, the helical spring has a continuously curving centrallongitudinal axis.

It will be appreciated that a non-linear orientation of the spring whichclosely matches the opening/closing arc of the toilet seat during usereduces unwanted lateral loading at the first and second members andthereby promotes durability of the apparatus.

In at least some embodiments, the continuously curving centrallongitudinal axis does not trace the arc of a circle.

Optionally, the first member comprises a generally C-shaped bracket tofacilitate its attachment to a rear part of a toilet bowl rim.

Optionally, at least a lowermost part of the C-shaped bracket isadjustable and/or inclined to enable it to grip to toilet bowl rims ofdiffering shapes and/or depth and/or thickness dimensions.

Optionally, the lowermost part of the C-shaped bracket includes twospaced apart gripping surfaces for securing it in position within arecess on a rimless or non- conventional toilet bowl structure.

Optionally, the second member comprises an elongate load-spreading barfor attachment across a lower part of the underside of a toilet seat.

During testing, it was established that a means of spreading the energyreleased by the helical spring is required to avoid concentrated pointloading at the interface of the spring and the underside of the toiletseat. Omission of the load-spreading bar risks the toilet seat itselfbeing physically damaged or completely broken.

Optionally, the elongate load-spreading bar includes one or moresecuring members for securing it in position on the underside of atoilet seat.

It will be appreciated that the C-shaped bracket and elongateload-spreading bar may be formed from metallic and/or plastics materials(or plastic coated metallic materials to facilitate cleaning and preventcorrosion) and secured in position in a number of different waysincluding, but not limited to, via screw fixings, resilient clips orfasteners, self-sealing suction cups, adhesives, including epoxies,welding etc.

Optionally, opposite distal ends of a conical spring are secured to theC-shaped bracket and elongate load-spreading bar, respectively.

Optionally, the conical spring is provided with a flexible sleeve orcover.

It will be appreciated that the sleeve or cover will provide a physicalbarrier preventing ingress of liquid or solid contaminants or detergentsthat may otherwise compromise the functioning or longevity of the springand be difficult or impossible to properly clean thus countering thehygiene and cleanliness credentials of overall apparatus. The cover orsleeve may be compressible - e.g. in a concertina fashion. The cover orsleeve may be washable and/or removable. Furthermore, it is envisagedthat the cover or sleeve may be provided in a range of colours to matchor compliment the colour scheme of the toilet seat and/or toilet bowl.The cover or sleeve may comprise surface indicia such as branding and/ormarketing messages. The cover or sleeve can therefore be provided as alow cost consumable item that is replaceable on a regular basis. Thismay reduce or avoid the necessity for cleaning; and provides anopportunity to change or update marketing messages over the lifetime ofthe product to generate revenue.

Optionally, the widest distal end of the conical spring is secured tothe C-shaped bracket, and the narrowest distal end of the conical springis secured to the elongate load-spreading bar.

It will be appreciated that this particular orientation of the conicalspring promotes greater stability, i.e. less wobble, during compression.

Alternatively, the narrowest distal end of the conical spring is securedto the C- shaped bracket, and the widest distal end of the conicalspring is secured to the elongate load-spreading bar.

It will be appreciated that this alternative orientation furtherdistributes the load applied to the toilet seat across a wider surfacearea thus minimising the risk of structural damage thereto.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provideda method of retrofitting a toilet seat lifting apparatus according tothe first aspect to a toilet, the method comprising:

-   -   (i) securing a first member to a bowl rim of the toilet; and    -   (ii) connecting an energy storage member between the first        member and the underside of a seat of the toilet.

Optionally, the method includes securing a second member to theunderside of the toilet seat, and connecting it to the energy storagemember.

According to a third aspect of the present invention there is provided atoilet comprising a toilet seat lifting apparatus according to the firstaspect.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention there is provideda toilet comprising a toilet seat lifting apparatus according to thefirst aspect comprising a toilet bowl rim,

wherein the energy storage member is connected between the first member,which is integrally connected to the toilet bowl rim, and a seat of thetoilet in order to urge the toilet seat away from the toilet bowl.

Optionally, a second member is provided for attachment to the undersideof the toilet seat, and for connection to the energy storage member.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provideda computer- readable medium having computer-executable instructionsadapted to cause a 3D printer to print the components of a toilet seatlifting apparatus according to the first aspect.

Further features and advantages of the first to fourth aspects of thepresent invention will become apparent from the claims and the followingdescription. Embodiments of the invention will now be described by wayof example only, with reference to the following diagrams, in which:-

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a side view of the various components of a first embodimentof a toilet seat lifting apparatus of the present invention whenassembled together;

FIG. 2 shows a front view of the assembled components of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows the toilet seat lifting apparatus of FIG. 1 secured inposition on a toilet between the toilet bowl rim and the toilet seat;

FIG. 4a shows a plan view of an alternative embodiment a toilet seatlifting apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 4b shows a perspective view of the toilet seat lifting apparatus ofFIG. 4a ;

FIG. 5a shows a plan view of a further alternative embodiment a toiletseat lifting apparatus of the present invention for attachment to arimless toilet bowl;

FIG. 5b shows a perspective view of the toilet seat lifting apparatus ofFIG. 5a ;

FIG. 5c shows the toilet seat lifting apparatus in-situ within a rimlesstoilet bowl;

FIGS. 6a-c show three alternative flexible sleeve members for coveringthe conical helical spring of a toilet seat lifting apparatus accordingto the present invention;

FIGS. 7a-c show diagrammatic side schematic views of a toilet seatlifting apparatus of the present invention in a fully open position; anintermediate (partially open) position; and a fully closed position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As shown in the example embodiment of FIG. 1, the toilet seat liftingapparatus 10 of the present invention comprises an assembly of threemain parts.

A first member 12 in the form of a C-shaped or ┌-shaped bracket isprovided for engagement with a toilet bowl rim (see FIG. 3). The bracket12 comprises a substantially planar base wall 12 a; a substantiallyplanar upper wall 12 b extending perpendicularly from the uppermost edgeof the base wall 12 a; and a relatively shorter lower wall 12 cextending perpendicularly from the lowermost edge of the base wall 12 a.The lower wall 12 c is provided with a pair of threaded apertures 12 dfor receiving fixing bolts 14 from below. It will be appreciated thatthe walls 12 a-c of the bracket 12 may be formed integrally from asingle piece of material such as a metal, plastic or alloy. Though notshown in the Figs, the bracket 12 may be coated with a plastics materialfor corrosion resistance and aesthetic purposes.

The uppermost surface of the upper wall 12 b is provided with a fixingplate 16 in the form of a bar or rod mounted centrally thereon andextending across substantially the entire width of the upper wall 12 b.The bar or rod 16 may be secured on the upper wall 12 b by a centralfixing bolt 14. The fixing bolt 14 may extend through a spacer such as awasher (not shown) to maintain a predetermined spacing between the baror rod 16 and the upper wall 12 b, respectively. Alternative ways tosecure the C-shaped bracket to the bowl will be apparent to a person ofordinary skill in the art.

For example, in the alternative embodiment of FIGS. 4a and 4b (whereequivalent features are understood to have corresponding referencenumerals) the lowermost wall 12 c of the C-shaped or ┌-shaped bracket 12terminates in an upwardly inclined lip 15 orientated at approximately 45degrees to the horizontal. It will be appreciated that the inclined lip15 permits a degree of tolerance by allowing the bracket 12 to grip arange of toilet bowl rims of differing rim wall thicknesses. Thisalternative embodiment also obviates the need for the threaded apertures12 d and fixing bolts 14 shown in the embodiment of FIG. 1. It will befurther appreciated that the base wall 12 a of the embodiment of FIGS.4a and 4b is slimmer than that of the embodiment of FIG. 1. In someinstances, the base wall 12 a is contoured across its width, either inwhole or part, such that it may fit more closely and unobtrusivelyagainst toilet bowl rim walls having either flat or curved surfaces.

A second member 20 in the form of an elongate load-spreading bar isprovided for engagement with the lowermost part of a toilet seat (seeFIG. 3). A threaded aperture 22 is provided proximate each opposing endof the load-spreading bar 20 for receiving fixing bolts 24.

One surface of the load-spreading bar 20 is provided with a fixing plate26 in the form of a short bar or rod mounted centrally thereon andextending across a central part of its overall width. The bar or rod 26may be secured thereon by a central fixing bolt 24. In like manner tothe fixing plate 16 of the bracket 12, the fixing bolt 24 may extendthrough a spacer such as a washer (not shown) to maintain apredetermined spacing between the bar or rod 26 and the surface of theload-spreading bar 20.

An energy storage member 30 in the form of a conical helical spring isconnected between the bracket 12 and the load-spreading bar 20. Theaforementioned predetermined spacings between the respective bars orrods 16, 26 and the respective surfaces of the bracket 12 andload-spreading bar 20 are selected to closely match the wire diameter ofthe conical helical spring 30. In this way, the opposite coiled ends ofthe conical helical spring 30 can be wholly located within thosepredetermined spacings to secure them against detachment in thedirection of the spring's central longitudinal axis X-X.

In the illustrated embodiments, the first end 30 a of the conicalhelical spring 30 which is connected to the bracket 12, has a relativelylarger diameter (e.g, 23 mm) than its second end 30 b (e.g. 15 mm) whichis connected to the load-spreading bar 20.

However, it will be appreciated that the orientation of the conicalhelical spring 30 can be readily reversed. The helix angle andwire-width (e.g. 1.6 mm) of the conical helical spring 30 may beselected such that it is fully telescopically compressible into a planarspiral orientation. The central longitudinal axis X-X of the conicalhelical spring 30 is curved when in a relaxed (unloaded) state.Furthermore, the gradient of the curve changes continuously along itslength such that the axis X-X does not follow the arc of a circle. Inone embodiment, the angular displacement between the first and secondends 30 a, 30 b of the conical helical spring 30 is greater than 45degrees, but less than 90 degrees. Advantages and disadvantagesassociated with the aforementioned technical characteristics andorientations of the coil spring are discussed below.

A flexible sleeve 50(see examples in FIGS. 6a-c ) may be fitted aroundat least the conical helical spring 30 to conceal it from view andprovide a physical barrier preventing ingress of liquid or solidcontaminants or detergents. The sleeve 50 may becompressible/deformable, e.g. in a concertina fashion. The sleeve may bewashable and/or removable. Furthermore, it is envisaged that the sleevemay be provided in a range of colours to match or compliment the colourscheme of the toilet seat and/or toilet bowl. The sleeve may comprisesurface indicia such as branding and/or marketing messages. As shown inFIG. 6a , one option is to shrink-wrap the spring 30 in a plasticmaterial. This is a low cost solution which minimises the amount ofplastic material used. An alternative option exemplified in FIG. 6bprovides a collapsible rubber outer sleeve that encases and seals theentire spring assembly.

The thicker rubber material affords greater strength and flexibilitythrough use as compared to shrink-wrapped plastic at the expense of ahigher material cost. To avoid interference with the spring 30, thethickness of the rubber material means that it must be over-sized and soits footprint is necessarily larger and hence more visually obvious. Afurther alternative option exemplified in FIG. 6c provide a multi-panelled spring-loaded plastic splash guard that extends into positionover the spring 30 as the toilet seat is raised. When lowered each panelretracts back beneath the adjacent panel in an overlapping fashion. Eachpanel may be manufactured from an anti-bacterial plastic. Whilst thismay be the most expensive option, i.e. due to inter- fitting plasticmoulded parts, it arguably provides superior longevity andfunctionality, and presents convenient surfaces for branding ormarketing messages.

The toilet seat lifting apparatus 10 according to the present inventionis shown fitted between a toilet bowl and toilet seat in FIG. 3. It's┌-shaped bracket 12 is shaped to generally conform with the profile ofthe rear rim 42 of a toilet bowl 40. Its upper wall 12 b rests on theupper peripheral surface of the rear rim 42; and its lower wall 12 cextends under the rear rim 42. The fixing bolts 14 (not shown in FIG. 3)extend through their threaded apertures 12 d and behind the rear rim 42of the toilet bowl 40 to secure the ┌-shaped bracket 12 againstdetachment therefrom.

The elongate load-spreading bar 20 is connected to the lower part of atoilet seat 44. In the illustrated embodiment, this connection is bymeans of fixing bolts 24 extending through the threaded apertures 22 andinto the underside of the seat surface. However, it will be appreciatedthat alternative forms of connection are not precluded. Connection ofthe load-spreading bar 20 to the toilet seat 44 is simplified by thecurved nature of the conical helical spring 30 which presents the load-spreading bar 20 towards the seat. It will be appreciated that physicalattachment of the load-spreading bar 20 to the toilet seat 44 mayprovide a more robust apparatus which also deters theft and/orvandalism. is not mandatory. However, such a physical attachment is notmandatory since the curved nature of the spring 30 applies the openingforce in the correct direction.

The embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 4 enable the bracket 12 to hook behind therecess of a conventional toilet bowl rim 42 (see FIG. 3). However, it isincreasingly common for modern toilet bowls to be rimless, at least atits central point proximate a toilet seat. Fitting a toilet seat liftingapparatus to such toilet bowls requires a modified structure as shown inFIGS. 5a-c . The bracket 12 of this embodiment is equivalent to thebracket 12 of the embodiments already described above with the exceptionof the structure of its lowermost wall 12 c. The lowermost wall 12 c nowtakes the form of a generally C-shaped member each end of whichterminates in an upwardly inclined lip 15 orientated at approximately 45degrees to the horizontal. The spaced- apart lips 15 engage withincorrespondingly spaced-apart recesses provided laterally of a centralrear wall of a non-standard “rimless” toilet bowl (see FIG. 5c ). Itwill be appreciated that this alternative structure maintains, to asignificant degree, the same parts of the brackets 12 already describedabove. Conveniently, this means that only a single part requires to beswapped out to accommodate rarer, non- standard toilet bowlconfigurations. This alternative structure also enhances rigidity byresisting rotational forces acting on the lower part of the bracket 12since the attachment to the toilet bowl is at two spaced-apart positionsas shown in FIG. 5c . It will be appreciated that the lowermost wall 12c may be variable in length to control the separation of its upwardlyinclined lips 15, thus enabling a single bracket to fit to differentnon-standard “rimless” toilet bowls with differently spaced surfacerecesses. FIG. 7a shows the toilet seat lifting apparatus 10 in itsfully open position whereby its curved conical helical spring 30 issubstantially de-energised having already urged the toilet seat 44 awayfrom the toilet bowl 40 beyond 90 degrees via spring force Fs.Accordingly, the toilet is automatically presented to a standing user ina manner ready for use without any requirement for intervention by auser. The continuously curved central longitudinal axis X-X of theconical helical spring 30 means that the spring force applied at itsopposite ends 30 a, 30 b is directed substantially perpendicularly withrespect to the respective reaction surfaces of the toilet bowl 40 andtoilet seat 44. Consequently, lateral forces at the opposite ends 30 a,30 b of the conical helical spring 30 tending to move the bracket 12and/or load-spreading bar 20 are minimised or eliminated such that thetoilet seat lifting apparatus 10 maintains a secure connection duringuse. Furthermore, by orientating the curved conical spring 30 with itslarger diameter end 30 a against the bracket 12, this promotes greaterstability by minimising wobble during compression. A flexible sleeve 50(see FIGS. 6a-c ) may cover the conical helical spring 30 such that theapparatus 10 is visually unobtrusive during normal use.

FIG. 7b shows the toilet seat lifting apparatus 10 in an intermediate(partially open) position whereby its conical helical spring 30 ispartially energised due to the toilet seat 44 being pivoted about itshinge towards the toilet bowl 40 by a prospective sitting user byapplication of a manual force F_(M) which is greater than the springforce F_(S). Conveniently, the prospective sitting user can haveconfidence that the toilet seat 44 will be free of accidentalcontamination by virtue of its default raised position. The orientationof the curved conical spring 30 described above means that the initialresistance to its compression is low, i.e. due to its smaller diameterend 30 b being compressed first. It will also be appreciated that when amanual compression force is removed, the illustrated orientation of thecurved conical spring 30 will also provide a diminishing speed of thelifting movement of the seat, i.e. a “soft-opening”.

FIG. 7c shows the toilet seat lifting apparatus 10 in a fully closedposition whereby its conical helical spring 30 is fully energised due tothe toilet seat 44 being pivoted about its hinge such that it lieshorizontally upon the toilet bowl 40 due to a user's weight W. Theconfiguration of the conical helical spring 30 is such that, when fullycompressed, its coil wires telescopically collapse to lie in a planarspiral, i.e. the conical helical spring 30 lies substantially flatbetween the underside of the toilet seat 44 and the upper surface of thetoilet bowl 40. The vertical space within which all parts of the toiletseat lifting apparatus 10 must be accommodated (i.e. the bracket, springand load-spreading var) is typically at most 2 cm high.

It will be appreciated that the technical features of the presentinvention ensure that high standards of hygiene and cleanliness aremaintained without the need for any purposeful action on the part of astanding toilet user. Furthermore, the benefits of the present inventioncan be realised without the need to disassemble and remove a toiletseat. Retrofitting and/or replacement of parts can be performed easilywithout the need for any technical expertise or special tools thusmaking it a cost-effective option. The advantages of the presentinvention include that maintenance and cleaning costs for public toiletscan be reduced.

Although particular embodiments of the invention have been disclosedherein in detail, this has been done by way of example and for thepurposes of illustration only. The aforementioned embodiments are notintended to be limiting with respect to the scope of the appendedclaims. Indeed, it is contemplated by the inventors that varioussubstitutions, alterations, and modifications may be made to theinvention.

For example, it will be appreciated that the C-shaped bracket andelongate load- spreading bar may be formed from metallic and/or plasticsmaterials (or plastic coated metallic materials to facilitate cleaningand prevent corrosion) and secured in position in a number of differentways including, but not limited to, via screw fixings, resilient clipsor fasteners, self-sealing suction cups, adhesives, including epoxies,welding etc.

In some embodiments (not shown) it will be necessary for the springforce of the conical helical spring to be sufficient to lift the toiletseat, yet sufficiently low so as not to overcome the weight of any lidwhich overlies the toilet seat when the toilet is not in use. In somecircumstances, toilet lids incorporate a soft closure mechanism and soit may be necessary to balance the respective spring forces of thetoilet seat lifting apparatus according to the present invention againstthose of any lid soft closure mechanism to ensure optimum performance ofthose two features.

Although the illustrated embodiments show only a single conical helicalspring, it is possible that two or more springs may instead be providedto distribute the opening force and/or to reduce the required physicalsize of the individual springs. Each of the springs may be provided withan individual sleeve or cover. Alternatively, a single sleeve or covermay be provided for fitting over all springs.

It will be appreciated that the bracket of the present invention may beprovided with features of adjustability enabling it to be attached to awide range of toilet bowl rims of different shapes and dimensions. Thepart(s) of the bracket which project under the toilet bowl rim may alsoneed to be adapted to avoid obstruction of the flow dynamics of flushingwater.

In this regard, although the illustrated embodiments show a fullyretrofittable toilet seat lifting apparatus having a bracket which isremovably attached to a toilet bowl rim, it would equally be possible toincorporate a suitable connection feature into the toilet bowl rim atthe time of manufacture thus providing a stronger and less visuallyintrusive manner of attaching the energy storage member thereto.

1. -18. (Cancelled)
 19. A toilet seat lifting apparatus comprising: afirst member for attachment to a toilet bowl rim; and an energy storagemember comprising a helical spring; wherein the helical spring has avariable internal or external diameter along its length between itsopposite distal ends, and is connected between the first member and anunderside of a toilet seat in order to urge the toilet seat away fromthe first member.
 20. A toilet seat lifting apparatus according to claim19, wherein a second member is provided for attachment to the undersideof a toilet seat, and for connection to the energy storage member.
 21. Atoilet seat lifting apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the helicalspring is a conical spring.
 22. A toilet seat lifting apparatusaccording to claim 21, wherein the conical spring is telescopicallycompressible into a planar spiral.
 23. A toilet seat lifting apparatusaccording to claim 19, wherein the helical spring has a continuouslycurving central longitudinal axis which does not trace an arc of acircle.
 24. A toilet seat lifting apparatus according to claim 19,wherein the first member comprises a generally C-shaped bracket tofacilitate its attachment to a rear part of a toilet bowl rim.
 25. Atoilet seat lifting apparatus according to claim 24, wherein at least alowermost part of the C-shaped bracket is adjustable and/or inclined toenable it to grip to toilet bowl rims of differing shapes and/or depthand/or thickness dimensions.
 26. A toilet seat lifting apparatusaccording to claim 25, wherein the lowermost part of the C-shapedbracket includes two spaced apart gripping surfaces for securing it inposition within a recess on a rimless or non-conventional toilet bowlstructure.
 27. A toilet seat lifting apparatus according to claim 20,wherein the second member comprises an elongate load-spreading bar forattachment across a lower part of the underside of a toilet seat.
 28. Atoilet seat lifting apparatus according to claim 27, wherein theelongate load- spreading bar includes one or more securing members forsecuring it in position on the underside of a toilet seat.
 29. A toiletseat lifting apparatus according to claim 24, wherein opposite distalends of a conical spring are secured to the C-shaped bracket and anelongate load-spreading bar, respectively.
 30. A toilet seat liftingapparatus according to claim 21, wherein the conical spring is providedwith a flexible sleeve or cover.
 31. A toilet seat lifting apparatusaccording to claim 29, wherein a widest distal end of the conical springis secured to the C-shaped bracket, and a narrowest distal end of theconical spring is secured to the elongate load-spreading bar.
 32. Atoilet seat lifting apparatus according to claim 29, wherein a narrowestdistal end of the conical spring is secured to the C-shaped bracket, anda widest distal end of the conical spring is secured to the elongateload-spreading bar.
 33. A method of retrofitting a toilet seat liftingapparatus, according to claim 19 , to a toilet, comprising: securing afirst member to a bowl rim of the toilet; and connecting an energystorage member between the first member and the underside of a seat ofthe toilet.
 34. A toilet comprising a toilet seat lifting apparatusaccording to claim
 19. 35. A toilet comprising a toilet seat liftingapparatus according to claim 19, comprising a toilet bowl rim, whereinthe energy storage member is connected between the first member, whichis integrally connected to the toilet bowl rim, and a seat of the toiletin order to urge the toilet seat away from the toilet bowl.
 36. Acomputer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions adaptedto cause a 3D printer to print components of a toilet seat liftingapparatus according to claim 19.